System for producing enhanced thermal images

Abstract

An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

1. An imaging device, comprising:
 a thermal sensor configured with optics to remotely measure respective temperatures of a plurality of regions within a scene and to generate corresponding temperature information signals; 
 a motion tracking system operative to track motion of the thermal sensor and generate a plurality of relative position information signals representing the plurality of positions respectively of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurement of the plurality of regions; and 
 an image construction processor operative to:
 (1) based on the position information signals, map the plurality of regions within the scene to a plurality of locations respectively within an image representative of the scene; and 
 (2) based on the temperature information signals, map the measured temperatures of the plurality of regions to corresponding temperature indications for the plurality of locations respectively within the image; and 
 
 an optical image projector for superimposing the image onto the scene. 
 
     
     
       2. The imaging device of  claim 1  wherein the thermal sensor is an infrared point thermometer. 
     
     
       3. The imaging device of  claim 1  wherein the thermal sensor includes a two-dimensional array of thermal sensing elements. 
     
     
       4. The imaging device of  claim 1  wherein the thermal sensor includes a one-dimensional array of thermal sensing elements. 
     
     
       5. An imaging device, comprising:
 a thermal sensor configured with optics to remotely measure respective temperatures of a plurality of regions within a scene and to generate corresponding temperature information signals; 
 a motion tracking system operative to track motion of the thermal sensor and generate a plurality of relative position information signals representing the plurality of positions respectively of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurement of the plurality of regions; 
 an image construction processor operative to:
 (1) based on the position information signals, map the plurality of regions within the scene to a plurality of locations respectively within an image representative of the scene; and 
 (2) based on the temperature information signals, map the measured temperatures of the plurality of regions to corresponding temperature indications for the plurality of locations respectively within the image, 
 
 wherein the device is handheld and provides an indication of the desired trajectory of motion of the device with respect to an initial starting position. 
 
     
     
       6. The imaging device of  claim 5  wherein the thermal sensor is an infrared point thermometer. 
     
     
       7. The imaging device of  claim 5  wherein the thermal sensor includes a two-dimensional array of thermal sensing elements. 
     
     
       8. The imaging device of  claim 5  wherein the thermal sensor includes a one-dimensional array of thermal sensing elements.